Broncos HC Sean Payton looks like a genius again after recent quarterback struggles

Heading into the 2024 draft, arguably no team was more closely tied to the quarterback position than the Denver Broncos. The team was fresh off releasing Russell Wilson from his abomination of a contract, and the Broncos were in desperate need of a fresh face at quarterback. With their selection of Bo Nix in the first round, the Broncos found themselves a perfect fit with Sean Payton.

In Nix and Payton, the Broncos have a firm understanding of where their future is. The Broncos have their quarterback picture figured out, thanks to the 2024 draft class, but the same cannot be said for other teams that took quarterbacks that year. For one team in particular, it seems as though they made the worst quarterback selection in recent memory, thanks in large part to Payton.

Very publicly, Payton asserted that the Broncos draft team tricked the Vikings into taking JJ McCarthy at 10th overall, two selections before Nix went to Denver. In their almost two seasons since, these quarterbacks could not be on different trajectories. Payton was absolutely right in picking Nix over McCarthy, and the results on the field show it.

Sean Payton looks like a genius after JJ McCarthy's serious struggles so far in 2025

Shortly after Payton’s public assertion of trying to check the Vikings into selecting McCarthy, he faced a good deal of public pushback and criticism. As the Broncos struggled through the first few weeks of Nix’s career while McCarthy sat on the sidelines injured, the criticism of Payton only got louder. Even after their success last year, not everyone was sold that the Broncos made the right choice.

As the 2025 season has carried on, it is now painfully obvious that the Broncos made the right choice. Not only does the team have its man in Nix, but the situation in Minnesota is also becoming increasingly dire. Simply put, a benching of McCarthy isn’t out of the question in the coming weeks. If McCarthy gets benched down the stretch, his future with the Vikings gets put in serious jeopardy.

On the surface level, it’s hard to see how these two quarterbacks have much to do with each other aside from their draft class. Considering where they went in those classes and the tie that Sean Payton made between the two, the selections of each will be tied together throughout their careers. A little over a season and a half in, the Broncos and Payton are out to an incredible lead.

Bears' fourth consecutive win launches them up 2025 NFL Week 13 power rankings

As head coach Ben Johnson told this Chicago Bears team several weeks ago, don't ever apologize for a win in this league. It's a message that has resonated with the players and was even repeated by Caleb Williams after the

Bears' epic 31-28 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. They've won four straight for the second time this season, and they looked good doing it.

There's no asterisk by this latest Chicago Bears win

, either. The Steelers may have been without Aaron Rodgers, but Chicago entered this game down five defensive starters, and a sixth (cornerback Tyrique Stevenson) left in the first quarter and did not return.

The Bears got key contributions from their 'bench mob' in Sunday's win, which is exactly what good teams do.

So enough with the hemming and hawing. Enough with the asterisks and the excuses. The Chicago Bears are 8-3 and retained control of first place in the NFC North, and that's all that needs to be said after Week 12. They are far from a finished product and will almost certainly make a quick exit in the playoffs (assuming they get there), but this is a good team with an arrow that is pointing straight up.

After landing just outside the Top 10 of my Week 12 NFL power rankings, how far can the Bears climb heading into Week 13? Let's take a look.

1. Los Angeles Rams (Last week: 1)

If anyone questioned my placement of the Rams at No. 1 last week, that 34-7 shellacking of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should have provided an irrefutable answer. These Rams are the most dominant team in the NFL right now, and Matt Stafford is well on his way to his first MVP award.

2. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 8)

I'm not bumping the Ravens up six spots for burying the hapless New York Jets. However, it's become abundantly clear that the Ravens are still title contenders. They've won five straight and are now atop the AFC North, which appears to be their rightful place.

3. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 5)

Just when it looked like the Chiefs' season was over, they dug deep and rattled off 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and overtime to beat the Colts and stay alive in the AFC playoff race. This conference does not want to see the Chiefs heat up in December.

4. Detroit Lions (Last week: 3)

The Lions came back to beat the lowly Giants (in overtime), but it's been a long time since they looked this vulnerable. Something is very wrong with this unit, and head coach Dan Campbell only has three days to figure it out before they welcome the surging Green Bay Packers to town on Thanksgiving.

5. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 4)

I don't want to overreact to one game, which is why I only dropped the Colts one spot, but I'm getting nervous. Cracks are beginning to show, and they threw away what could have been a statement win over the Chiefs.

6. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 2)

I haven't been a believer in the Eagles at all this season, and blowing a 21-point lead to the Cowboys didn't help their cause. The defending champs now face an ascendant Chicago Bears team that's hungry for a signature win, which would be their fifth consecutive victory, and they only have four days to prepare.

7. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 6)

I hate dropping a good team after a win, but the Ravens clearly belong among the NFL's best right now, and I had to make room for them.

8. New England Patriots (Last week: 7)

The Patriots dropped for the same reason as the Seahawks, but this is still a good team that should make some noise in the playoffs.

9. Chicago Bears (Last week: 12)

Winners of eight of their last nine games, few teams are hotter than the Bears right now. Ben Johnson has created a winning culture for this perennial loser, and if a bad game for Caleb Williams results in 239 passing yards and 3 touchdowns, sign me up for many more such bad games.

10. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 13)

It's hard to nail down exactly how we should feel about the Packers. They are clearly a good team, but they didn't trade the farm for Micah Parsons to be 'just' a good team. They handled business on Sunday against the Vikings and earned a decent bump up the power rankings, but the ceiling on this team is lower than it should be.

11. Denver Broncos (Last week: 10)

I try to avoid moving teams during their bye week, but I had to make room for the Bears and Packers in the Top 10.

12. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 9)

Let the Bills serve as an example to the rest of the NFL: it takes more than an MVP quarterback to win in this league. The Bills have a lot of problems to fix, and fast, if they want to contend for a title this year.

13. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 20)

If the Cowboys keep winning, we may need to consider the possibility that Jerry Jones pulled off a masterclass in trading away Micah Parsons. They're 5-5-1 and fresh off an epic win over the defending champs. A playoff run is very much in the cards.

14. Houston Texans (Last week: 17)

Do the Texans have a QB controversy on their hands? CJ Stroud has fallen far from the glory of his rookie season, and Davis Mills keeps winning. Paired with a dangerous defense, the Texans may want to stick with the hot hand if they want to retake the AFC South.

15. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 15)

The 49ers gave Carolina every chance to win that Monday night game, thanks in large part to Brock Purdy's horrendous accuracy, but the lowly Panthers couldn't take advantage. For that, San Francisco has to stay put this week.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 14)

Do we need to have a conversation about Mike Tomlin? Against a Bears' team that was missing six of its eleven defensive starters, including all three linebackers and cornerbacks, the Steelers were stymied. Super Bowl XLIII was a long time ago, and it may be time for a change in Pittsburgh.

17. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 16)

The Panthers nabbed three interceptions against San Francisco's Brock Purdy in the first half of Monday Night Football, but put up just three points. A winnable game thus slipped through their grasp, and with it went any hope of a playoff push. Quarterback Bryce Young just isn't good enough.

18. Los Angeles Chargers (Last week: 18)

The Chargers stay put during their bye week.

19. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 19)

I don't think I've ever seen a 7-4 team I've liked less than the 2025 Jaguars. They have to move on from Trevor Lawrence after this season. A three-interception performance won't cut it against one of the many (many!) teams that are better than the Arizona Cardinals.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 11)

It's one thing to lose to a better team, but the Buccaneers never even put up a fight against the Rams. Adding insult to injury (or perhaps injury to insult), head coach Todd Bowles gave an update on Baker Mayfield's injury, and it sounds like they'll be without QB1 for at least a couple of weeks. If that's the case, then at 6-5, their season is effectively over.

21. New York Giants (Last week: 24)

Anytime he gets the start, Jameis Winston has proven to be must-see TV. His 366 yards and three total touchdowns (including one receiving score) brought the Giants to the very edge of upsetting the heavily favored Detroit Lions.

22. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 22)

The Dolphins stay put during their bye week.

23. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 23)

I can't give the Falcons much credit for beating the lowly Saints. Not when they are a rudderless ship in a surprisingly competitive conference.

24. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 21)

J.J. McCarthy is not the guy for Minnesota. I don't care if he's only started six games; he is so far away from looking like he even belongs on the same field as an NFL defense that the Vikings have to consider benching him and drafting a new quarterback in 2026. This team is far too talented and well-coached to be this bad.

25. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 26)

These next three teams all move up one spot thanks to narrow losses to superior opponents, starting with the Cardinals. They had a chance to put the Jaguars away in overtime with a touchdown, but they advanced no further than Jacksonville's 42-yard line.

26. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 27)

For a while there, it looked like we would be treated to a huge upset victory as the Bengals built a 10-0 lead over the Patriots, but this defense is simply immune to holding leads.

27. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 28)

The Titans came roaring back from a 13-point deficit and were an onside kick away from maybe pulling off the upset. They deserve credit for continuing to fight in what has been a disastrous season.

28. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 25)

In a battle of NFC South lightweights, the Saints proved no match for the Falcons. Very few questions about this squad are getting answered in head coach Kellen Moore's first year on the job.

29. Washington Commanders (Last week: 29)

The Commanders stay put during their bye week.

30. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 31)

I implore Browns fans not to make more of this game than it was. Beating the worst team in the NFL and watching Shedeur Sanders improve from the worst debut of all time to simply playing poorly is nothing to get excited about.

31. New York Jets (Last week: 30)

Some early defensive dominance made Ravens fans sweat, but in the end, the Jets still lost to a vastly superior team, which is probably for the best at this point. The Jets need the best first-round pick they can get in 2026.

32. Las Vegas Raiders (Last week: 32)

The sun had not yet set on another humiliating Raiders' loss when they fired yet another assistant coach, this time sending offensive coordinator Chip Kelly packing. It won't help them, but at least the Raiders' brass understands that this team is going nowhere.

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